Wednesday, April 25, 2018

The National Transportation Safety Board traveled to the scene of this accident.
Additional Participating Entity:Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; San Antonio, TexasAviation Accident Factual Report - National Transportation Safety Board: https://app.ntsb.gov/pdfInvestigation Docket - National Transportation Safety Board: https://dms.ntsb.gov/pubdmshttp://registry.faa.gov/N12377Location: Kingsville, TXAccident Number: CEN18FA147Date & Time: 04/25/2018, 1225 CDTRegistration: N12377Aircraft: NORTH AMERICAN SNJ 5Aircraft Damage: DestroyedDefining Event: Aerodynamic stall/spinInjuries: 2 FatalFlight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal On April 25, 2018, about 1225 central daylight time, a North American SNJ 5 airplane, N12377, was destroyed when it impacted terrain shortly after takeoff from Kingsville Naval Air Station (NQI), Kingsville, Texas. The private pilot and pilot-rated passenger were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to and was being operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Day visual meteorological conditions prevailed in the area, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight, which was originating at the time of the accident with an intended destination of San Marcos Regional Airport (HYI), San Marcos, Texas.Air traffic control tower personnel reported that the airplane took off on runway 13R and had requested a right teardrop turn for a departure toward the north. Several witnesses reported seeing the airplane in a steep right bank; some witnesses reporting that the bank angle exceeded 90° and the maximum altitude achieved was 200-300 ft above ground level. The airplane descended nose low and the right bank angle decreased before the airplane impacted the ground between runway 17R/35L and taxiway B just south of the intersection of taxiways B and E (Figure 1.).

Figure 1. Airport diagram showing the layout of Kingsville NAS

Review of radar data showed that the airplane began its takeoff roll from runway 13R at 1224:01. The accident flight was captured in 11 radar returns, with the final return at 1224:52. No altitude data was recorded. The airplane's ground track continued along the runway centerline from the takeoff position for about 2,000 ft before making a slight left turn followed by a right turn. The right turn continued to the end of the data and the final recorded position was about 100 ft east of the initial impact point.Based on the final 3 recorded radar returns, the turn radius was estimated to be about 450 ft and the calculated average groundspeed was 87 mph. Based on this information, the calculated bank angle was about 56° during the final portion of the flight. For a level, 56°-banking turn, the calculated flight load factor was 1.8g. Based on the velocity versus load factor (V-N) diagram for the accident airplane, a load factor of 1.8g equated to an accelerated stall speed about 95 mph. The airplane's ground track is depicted in Figure2.

Figure 2. Overhead view of the airplane's ground track

Pilot InformationCertificate: PrivateAge: 64, MaleAirplane Rating(s): Single-engine LandSeat Occupied: FrontOther Aircraft Rating(s): NoneRestraint Used: 4-pointInstrument Rating(s): NoneSecond Pilot Present: YesInstructor Rating(s): NoneToxicology Performed: YesMedical Certification: Class 3 With Waivers/LimitationsLast FAA Medical Exam: 04/17/2018Occupational Pilot: NoLast Flight Review or Equivalent:Flight Time: 3000 hours (Total, all aircraft)Pilot-Rated Passenger InformationCertificate: Airline Transport; CommercialAge: 50, MaleAirplane Rating(s): Multi-engine Land; Single-engine LandSeat Occupied: RearOther Aircraft Rating(s): NoneRestraint Used: 4-pointInstrument Rating(s): AirplaneSecond Pilot Present: YesInstructor Rating(s): NoneToxicology Performed: YesMedical Certification: Class 1 Without Waivers/LimitationsLast FAA Medical Exam: 07/18/2017Occupational Pilot: YesLast Flight Review or Equivalent: Flight Time: 5000 hours (Total, all aircraft) The pilot, age 64, held a private pilot certificate with an airplane single-engine land rating. His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) third-class medical certificate was issued on April 17, 2018, with a limitation for corrective lenses. On the application for that medical certificate, the pilot reported 3,000 total hours of flight experience, with 40 hours in the previous 6 months. The pilot's flight logbook was not available for review.The passenger, age 50, held an airline transport pilot certificate with airplane multiengine land and airplane single-engine land ratings. The single-engine rating was limited to commercial pilot privileges. Military records indicated that he had accumulated at least 2,400 hours of flight experience before his discharge from the military. No civilian flight records were reviewed; however, the pilot reported 5,000 total hours of flight experience on the application for his most recent FAA first-class medical certificate, dated July 20, 2017. The medical certificate listed no limitations.Aircraft and Owner/Operator InformationAircraft Make: NORTH AMERICANRegistration: N12377Model/Series: SNJ 5Aircraft Category: AirplaneYear of Manufacture:Amateur Built: NoAirworthiness Certificate: NormalSerial Number: 85086Landing Gear Type: Retractable - TailwheelSeats: 2Date/Type of Last Inspection: 11/20/2017, AnnualCertified Max Gross Wt.: 5300 lbsTime Since Last Inspection:Engines: 1 ReciprocatingAirframe Total Time: 7718 Hours as of last inspectionEngine Manufacturer: Pratt & WhitneyELT:Engine Model/Series: R-1340-AN-1Registered Owner: On fileRated Power: 600 hpOperator: On fileOperating Certificate(s) Held: NoneThe airplane, serial number 85086, was a single-engine monoplane used to train military pilots during World War II and into the 1970s. It was equipped with retractable conventional (tailwheel) landing gear and tandem seating for two occupants. The airplane was powered by a 600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 radial reciprocating engine, which drove a 2-blade, constant-speed Hamilton Standard 12D40-6101-12 propeller.Maintenance records indicated that the most recent annual inspection was completed on November 20, 2017, at an airframe total time of 7,717.7 hours. According to the entry, the engine had accumulated 414.7 hours since its most recent overhaul.Registration information indicated that the pilot had owned the airplane since 2007. Meteorological Information and Flight PlanConditions at Accident Site: Visual ConditionsCondition of Light: DayObservation Facility, Elevation: NQI, 50 ft mslDistance from Accident Site: 0 Nautical MilesObservation Time: 1232 CDTDirection from Accident Site: 0°Lowest Cloud Condition: Few / 3000 ft aglVisibility: 10 MilesLowest Ceiling: NoneVisibility (RVR):Wind Speed/Gusts: 16 knots / 23 knotsTurbulence Type Forecast/Actual: /Wind Direction: 120°Turbulence Severity Forecast/Actual: /Altimeter Setting: 30.01 inches HgTemperature/Dew Point: 31°C / 13°CPrecipitation and Obscuration: No Obscuration; No PrecipitationDeparture Point: Kingsville, TX (NQI)Type of Flight Plan Filed: NoneDestination: Austin, TX (HYI)Type of Clearance: VFRDeparture Time: 1224 CDTType of Airspace: Class D At 1232, the weather conditions recorded at NQI included wind from 120° at 16 knots gusting to 23 knots, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 3,000 ft above ground level (agl), temperature 31°C, dew point 13°C, and an altimeter setting of 30.01 inches of mercury. Airport InformationAirport: KINGSVILLE NAS (NQI)Runway Surface Type: ConcreteAirport Elevation: 50 ftRunway Surface Condition: DryRunway Used: 13RIFR Approach: NoneRunway Length/Width: 8000 ft / 200 ftVFR Approach/Landing: NoneWreckage and Impact InformationCrew Injuries: 1 FatalAircraft Damage: DestroyedPassenger Injuries: 1 FatalAircraft Fire: On-GroundGround Injuries: N/AAircraft Explosion: On-GroundTotal Injuries: 2 FatalLatitude, Longitude: 27.503889, -97.812222The initial impact point was in a grass area about 1,200 ft right of the runway 13R centerline and about 3,500 ft from its approach end. Most of the wreckage came to rest on the ramp near taxiway E. The debris path was oriented in a westerly direction with the first impact mark about 20 ft from the east edge of the paved ramp area.The engine separated from the fuselage and the supercharger section of the engine separated from the cylinder section. The propeller remained attached to the engine with one blade intact, displaying evidence of chordwise scratching on the cambered side and twisting of the outboard portion of the blade toward low pitch. The other blade was missing the outboard 2 ft, which came to rest near the ground scar. There was a propeller slash in the dirt and the broken section of the blade displayed leading edge gouging, chordwise scratching, and bending.Both wings separated upon impact. The right wing came to rest at the east edge of taxiway B. The fuselage came to rest on its right side about 30 ft west of the right wing. The left wing came to rest about 100 ft further west.The wing was composed of 3 sections; a center section and 2 outboard wing panels. The right wing and a portion of the center section came to rest upright between the initial impact point and the fuselage. The right portion of the wing center section was crushed and twisted and remained attached to the outboard right wing panel. The outboard portion of the wing panel displayed fire damage and upward bending of the portion outboard of the wing joint. The flap remained attached to the outboard portion of the wing. The inboard portion of the right aileron remained attached to the wing.The left wing separated at the joint and came to rest upright. The aileron was separated, but the inboard portion was found between the fuselage and left wing. The flap remained attached. The left wing was predominately intact. There was aft, angular crushing damage to the wing tip from the tip to about 3 ft inboard. The leading edge inboard of this damage was intact and showed little deformation.The fuselage was mostly intact. The steel tube fuselage structure at the firewall was bent aft with more significant bending of the right side of the firewall. The firewall crush angle was indicative of about a 30° right-wing-low impact. The left horizontal stabilizer, elevator, vertical stabilizer, and rudder remained attached. The right horizontal stabilizer and elevator remained attached and were bent upward about 90°.Flight control continuity was established from the forward cockpit rudder pedals aft to the rudder. The left pushrod connecting the forward and aft cockpit rudder pedals were intact but bent about mid-length. The right rudder interconnect pushrod was broken in two; the forward and aft portions remained attached to their respective rudder pedals. Elevator control continuity was established for the complete cable circuit from the elevator forward to the forward control stick bellcrank, then forward around the firewall-mounted pulley and aft to the elevator. Pulling on the rudder and elevator cables resulted in corresponding movement of the respective surfaces. The aileron control bellcrank remained attached and intact on the torque tube with the aileron control cables still attached to the bellcrank. One cable was about 3 ft long, and the other was about 6 inches long to their respective separation points. Both separations were consistent with overload failure. Aileron control cable continuity within the wings was established through several breaks consistent with overload failure.The forward cockpit control stick casting was fractured from the torque tube and the stick was fractured from its mount. The removable rear cockpit control stick was found lying on the ramp adjacent to the airplane. Examination could not confirm if the stick had been installed in its socket prior to impact.The right landing gear remained attached to the wing. The left landing gear was broken loose and came to rest between the fuselage and the left wing.Examination of the airplane did not reveal any evidence of preimpact mechanical failures or anomalies.Medical And Pathological InformationPilotOn his medical certificate application, the pilot reported his use of tamsulosin to treat benign prostate hypertrophy and allopurinol for gout. These medications are generally not considered to be impairing. The pilot reported no other medical conditions or medications.The Nueces County Medical Examiner, Corpus Christi, Texas, performed an autopsy of the pilot. The cause of death was blunt force trauma. The pilot had moderate to severe coronary artery disease with up to 60% narrowing of the right coronary and 70% narrowing of the left coronary artery. No other significant natural disease was identified.National Medical Services Laboratory (NMS Labs) testing of cavity blood conducted as part of the autopsy was negative for alcohol and carbon monoxide. Testing detected diphenhydramine at 160 ng/ml; pseudoephedrine at 120 ng/ml, and its metabolite, norpseudoephedrine, at 12 ng/ml; and caffeine.The FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, performed toxicology testing on specimens of the pilot. Diphenhydramine was detected in urine and at 156 ng/ml in cavity blood; pseudoephedrine was detected in blood and urine; and tamsulosin was detected in cavity blood and urine.Pseudoephedrine, caffeine, and tamsulosin are generally not considered to be impairing. Diphenhydramine is a sedating antihistamine used to treat allergy symptoms and as a sleep aid. It is available over the counter under the trade names Benadryl and Unisom. The therapeutic range for diphenhydramine is 25.0 to 112.0 ng/ml. Blood concentrations following a single dose of 50 mg diphenhydramine in 10 healthy adults produced an average peak plasma concentration of 66 ng/ml at 2.3 hours. Further, in a driving simulator study, a single 50 mg dose of diphenhydramine impaired driving ability more than a blood alcohol concentration of 0.100%. Diphenhydramine carries the FDA warning, "may impair mental and/or physical ability required for the performance of potentially hazardous tasks (e.g., driving, operating heavy machinery)." Compared to other antihistamines, diphenhydramine causes marked sedation; this is the rationale for its use as a sleep aid. Altered mood and impaired cognitive and psychomotor performance may also be observed.Diphenhydramine undergoes postmortem redistribution where, after death, the drug can leach from storage sites back into blood. Central postmortem blood levels may be about two to three times higher than peripheral levels.Pilot-Rated PassengerThe pilot-rated passenger reported no medications and had no significant medical conditions during his most recent FAA medical examination.The Nueces County Medical Examiner's autopsy documented the cause of death as multiple crush injuries. The passenger had moderate coronary artery disease with up to 50% narrowing of the right coronary, 40% narrowing of the left coronary, and 30% narrowing of the circumflex coronary arteries. No other significant natural disease was identified.NMS Labs forensic toxicology testing of femoral blood conducted as part of the autopsy was negative for alcohol, carbon monoxide, and tested-for drugs.FAA Bioaeronautical Sciences Research Laboratory toxicology testing detected no carbon monoxide in femoral blood, no ethanol in vitreous, and no tested-for-drugs in urine.

Naval Air Station Kingsville Fire and Emergency Services personnel spray foam onto the wreckage of a civilian-owned and operated North American SNJ-5 (AT-6D) Texan, N12377, that crashed shortly after takeoff from the air station April 25, 2018. Both the pilot and passenger were killed in the crash.

Steve DeWolf’s passion for aviation is just a part of what makes him such an interesting neighbor. (Photo by Danny Fulgencio)

Charles Skoda was one of two men killed when the privately owned airplane they were in crashed shortly after takeoff from NAS Kingsville. Missouri State Senator Doug Libla said that Skoda was a former Navy fighter pilot and government relations employee. “He was widely known and a friend to many in the Missouri State Capitol for several years,” said Libla.

UPDATE: Forest Hills neighbor Steve DeWolf died April 25, 2018, in a plane crash, according to his wife, Tammy DeWolf. The civil lawyer, wind energy pioneer and author was flying his T-6 Texan, one of two World War 2-era planes that he owned. He and a passenger died when the plane crashed at Naval Air Station Kingsville shortly after takeoff Wednesday at about 12:30 p.m., according to the Caller Times. The story says the plane caught fire shortly after takeoff. In addition to his wife, DeWolf is survived by his son, Jake DeWolf. Memorial details are pending. This article about DeWolf appears in the May issue of the Lakewood/East Dallas Advocate, which went to press before news of his death.When Steve DeWolf isn’t jogging through his Forest Hills neighborhood, he’s probably flying over it in one of his vintage planes.The civil lawyer, author and wind energy pioneer owns a PT-17 Stearman that was built in 1943 and a T-6 Texan built in 1942. His father was a colonel in the Air Force, and DeWolf attended the United States Naval Academy, intent on flying carrier-based jets. But his vision wasn’t good enough. After graduation, he went to law school and earned a pilot’s license in 1985. After a girlfriend broke up with him in 1991, he says he thought, “F it, I’m just going to spend $80,000 and go buy an old open cockpit biplane.”That was the Stearman. “I’ve loved it ever since,” he says.DeWolf says he tries to fly his planes at least once a week. His home base is the Dallas Executive Airport, formerly Redbird Airport. “My dad said that you have to fly a lot to be safe. I tell my son, Jake, the same thing.”Why planes from that era? “It goes back to my dad,” DeWolf says. “It’s very pure flying. It’s black or white. You can either fly the numbers or you can’t. Can you fly it in a certain direction, can you keep it stable, can you land well? In law, there’s gray and nuances.”How does he feel when he’s up there? “Like a million bucks,” he says.DeWolf has had close calls, including seeing lightning below him while flying over Seguin from the Rio Grande Valley and encountering fog so dense he was forced to fly according to the air traffic controller’s signals. Years ago, in the Stearman, an oil line broke. DeWolf was close to Lancaster and tried to land. People were saying, “You’re streaming oil.” He landed and had the shakes. “Some tall, thin guy who was in charge of the airport came out and said, ‘Well, I’d let you use the restroom, but I bet you done already used it.’“Fortunately, I hadn’t.”DeWolf’s law office on the 14th floor of a North Central Expressway building feels like working in the clouds. He sits at a long, cluttered table in a room surrounded by windows. The office is decorated with framed illustrations of him in court, a photo of him in his plane flying over opening day of the Rangers in 2014, a 1942 Saturday Evening Post cover of his father in uniform and his son’s Lego wind farm project.Rocks collected from his travels hold down pages of law cases and maps of his wind farm projects. “A rock for everything I have to do,” he says. “I like rocks. Every time I go someplace, I get them.”In the early 2000s, he was sitting on a beach and penning an editorial for The Dallas Morning News about the need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. He thought about an in-law in Minnesota who was a progressive farmer researching windmills.“I thought, ‘Texas… we have a lot of land, we ought to be able to do that.’ I had no idea what I was doing.” He went to TXU Energy and said, “I’d like to build a wind farm.” He asked his wife, Tammy, to give him $25,000 to learn the business. She was OK with it, so he went to West Texas A&M University and studied with the experts. He’s been investing in wind farms ever since.He also wrote a book. “Dead Stick” is about a Texas civil trial lawyer, “a gritty street-wise” character investigating the death of his brother in Iraq. The main character is Jake, named after DeWolf’s son, and the book’s cover photo is DeWolf in his plane. “Dead Stick” is published by Stephen F. Austin University Press. A producer in Los Angeles has optioned the book to be a movie, and a writer in New York is working on the screenplay.DeWolf is at work on a sequel. In addition, he writes “The Moderate Minute” column for the Mount Vernon Optic Herald in Franklin County, where he owns a lake house. He’s also on the board of the Cavanaugh Flight Museum.In the meantime, son Jake is studying at Oklahoma State University, learning to be a commercial airline pilot.“Flying is not without dangers, and flying these old planes? It’s more dangerous,” DeWolf says. “But crossing the street is dangerous. I do my best to make sure that the planes are well maintained. Like I told Jake, ‘You don’t fly into bad weather. You try and make good judgments.’ At some point, 10 to 15 years from now, I may say, ‘I think I’ve been flying long enough.”Story, video, photo gallery ➤ https://lakewood.advocatemag.com

Jake (left) and his father Steven DeWolf. Steven was killed when the airplane he was flying crashed shortly after takeoff from NAS Kingsville.

Two men killed in a plane crash at Naval Air Station Kingsville yesterday have been identified.Steven DeWolf and Charles Skoda were killed yesterday when the North American SNJ-5 (AT-6D) Texan they were flying in crashed shortly after takeoff from the air station.In a message sent to KRIS 6 News, DeWolf’s son Jake said “He’s the best damn father in the whole world. He died doing what he loved which was flying that Yellow T-6 Texan."In an online statement, Missouri State Senator Doug Libla said that Skoda was a former Navy fighter pilot and government relations employee.“He was widely known and a friend to many in the Missouri State Capitol for several years,” said Libla.Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.kristv.com

Photo of aircraft involved in Naval Air Station-Kingsville crash.

Photo date April 24, 2018

KINGSVILLE — Two people were killed when a civilian-owned plane crashed at Naval Air Station Kingsville shortly after takeoff Wednesday afternoon.The North American SNJ-5 (AT-6D) Texan crashed just after 12:30 p.m., said Kevin Clarke, a public affairs officer for the base.The plane caught fire and was put out by naval emergency personnel, Clarke said in a video posted on the naval base's Facebook page. The pilot and one passenger had been visiting an employee of the base and had just taken off when the mishap occurred, Clarke said. Officials of the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were on the way to conduct an investigation into the crash, Clarke said in the video.The two people were taken to a nearby funeral home, he said in the video. Their identities were not released Wednesday, pending notification of family.Clarke said no naval aviators were involved and there was no damage to the airfield’s runways or equipment. Naval Air Station Kingsville is one of 15 military installations in Texas, and is the workplace of 1,650 people. About 200 flight students train there, along with roughly 150 flight instructors.

A civilian owned and operated vintage warbird aircraft crashed shortly after 12:30 p.m. Wednesday near the lower gate of Naval Air Station-Kingsville.The Kleberg County Sheriff's Department confirmed that the pilot and one passenger died in the crash. NAS officials said the pilot and one passenger had been visiting an employee on base. They had just taken off from the airfield when it the mishap occurred.A witness told 3News that it looked like the pilot lost control and rolled backward in the direction of the hangars. They said they couldn't tell if it was a mechanical failure or the wind, which was pretty strong at the time, but they did hear what sounded like the pilot hitting the throttle before an explosion.Training Air Wing 2 was sent to secure the scene. NAS officials said the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate as is standard procedure when plane crashes are involved. NAS officials said no naval aviators were involved and there was no damage to the runways or equipment.Story and video ➤ http://www.kiiitv.com

Two people were killed when a civilian-owned and operated vintage warbird aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Naval Air Station Kingsville.According to the base, the pilot and one passenger had been visiting an employee of the base and had just taken off when the crash occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m.The identities of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of the next of kin, base officials say.The base says no Naval aviators were involved and there was no damage to the airfield runways or equipment. Story and video ➤ http://www.kristv.com

The Wall Street JournalBy Doug CameronUpdated April 25, 2018 1:23 p.m. ETBoeing Company aims to have a new facility in China ready to complete some of its 737 jets by the end of this year, a sign that the aerospace giant is taking trade tensions in stride.Chief Executive Dennis Muilenburg said Wednesday that construction is under way on a finishing center near Shanghai that Boeing has said it needs to compete with rival Airbus SE, which already builds jets in China.His comments on a post-earnings call came as Boeing’s first quarter results soared past analysts’ expectations, and as the company boosted its full-year guidance for profits and operating cash flow. The new guidance signals Boeing is working through challenges in the broader aerospace supply chain related to engines and other plane parts as it and Airbus—which reports Friday—boost jetliner production.The results also suggest that Boeing’s business hasn’t been hurt by trade-related rhetoric between officials in the U.S. and China. Mr. Muilenburg said Boeing hadn’t been affected by to-and-fro tariff proposals from the U.S. and China.China accounts for a fifth of Boeing’s jetliner deliveries. The new facility to install seats and other fittings such as in-flight entertainment systems had drawn scrutiny from then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, who cited it as an example of U.S. jobs being moved overseas.Mr. Muilenburg has said such overseas facilities aren’t a direct threat to the U.S. jobs, and will help protect and expand domestic employment. He said the effort is an essential part of doing business in China.The aerospace company will continue assembling 737s at its plant near Seattle but send some planes to China for completion at the new plant, a joint venture with the state-controlled Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China Ltd.Mr. Muilenburg also said on Wednesday that Boeing is following guidance from U.S. officials on potential airplane sales to carriers in Iran. He said planned deliveries of jets had been deferred beyond 2018 as officials in Iran, the U.S. and Europe debate sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear programPotential sales to Iran aren’t in Boeing’s order book, which has swelled to more than 5,800 jets worth $415 billion.First-quarter profits beat expectations as Boeing continued to boost productivity and aimed to raise margins to the midteen range from around 11%. The company didn’t book another charge on its delayed military refueling tanker program, though it said costs had increased, but added its defense and services units contributed to the rise in earnings.Boeing said its profit rose to $2.48 billion in the quarter from $1.58 billion a year earlier, with per-share earnings up to $4.15 from $2.54. Stripping out pension costs, profit of $3.64 a share was well ahead of the $2.58 analyst consensus.The company boosted its guidance for full-year profit by 50 cents a share to a range of $14.30 to $14.50, and added $500 million to its forecast for operating cash flow, with a new top end of $15.5 billion.
Original article can be found here ➤ https://www.wsj.com

A New York doctor and former television sportscaster landed a small airplane with its landing gear retracted in Sussex County in January, leading to a fire that destroyed the plane, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.

Marvell Scott and a passenger escaped after the Cessna 210D Centurion went up in flames January 21 at Sussex Airport in Wantage, the NTSB said in a report.Scott, 45, had just obtained his private pilot license and had about 150 hours of flying time, according to the NTSB.After the crash, Scott told air-safety investigators he "thought he put the gear down but realized that he probably recycled the gear up" while handling another control next to it, according to a report.There was nothing mechanically wrong with the plane.As they landed, the tail hit first and the nose hit the landing strip hard. They skidded to a stop and Scott and an unidentified passenger got out as the plane caught fire.Scott told the investigator he was surprised at how quickly the plane became engulfed in flames."He acknowledged his wounded pride but was glad nobody got hurt," the NTSB report said.

Marvell Scott (credit: Facebook)

Public records show Scott has addresses in Sparta and New York City. He could not immediately be reached for comment at his sports medicine practice in Manhattan.The medical doctor and former journalist left his job with WABC-TV in New York after he was charged with the second-degree rape of a 14-year-old runaway.The victim had been coerced into prostitution by an adult male, according to reports.Scott pleaded guilty to misdemeanor injuring the welfare of a child, received 20 days of community service and had his record cleared, reports said. Public records show Scott was reprimanded over the allegations but did not lose his medical license.Original article can be found here ➤ http://www.nj.com

National Transportation Safety Board - Aviation Accident Final ReportLocation: SUSSEX, NJAccident Number: GAA18CA115Date & Time: 01/21/2018, 0230 ESTRegistration: N884KMAircraft: CESSNA 210Aircraft Damage: DestroyedDefining Event: Landing gear not configuredInjuries: 2 NoneFlight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal Analysis The pilot of the retractable-landing-gear-equipped airplane reported that, during approach, the green landing gear extended light was illuminated. He further reported that "it [was] possible that [he] inadvertently cycled the landing gear back to a gear up position." The airplane landed gear up and was destroyed by postaccident fire.During a telephone interview with a National Transportation Safety Board investigator, the pilot reported that the landing gear handle and the trim wheel were next to each other, and it is probable that, when operating the trim wheel, he moved the landing gear handle. He added that that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.Probable Cause and FindingsThe National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident to be:The pilot's inadvertent landing gear retraction during approach. FindingsAircraftGear extension and retract sys - Unintentional use/operation (Cause)Personnel issuesIncorrect action performance - Pilot (Cause)Factual InformationHistory of FlightLandingLanding gear not configured (Defining event)Fire/smoke (non-impact)

The pilot of a small plane with engine trouble used a stretch of Calgary road as a runway early Wednesday, landing on 36th Street just south of 16th Avenue N.E. No injuries were reported. The Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain was inbound to Calgary International Airport with six people aboard just after 5:30 a.m. MT when engine trouble forced the pilot to land on the roadway.Acting District Chief Jason Graham of the Calgary Fire Department said the pilot did "an amazing job" to land the plane safely.Graham said a crane will be brought in from the airport to lift the plane onto a flatbed truck. Police said it had minor damage.The plane, registered to Super T Aviation, left Medicine Hat, Alta., about 4:45 a.m. and was headed to Calgary, a company official said.Owner Terri Super said the pilot has been with the company for "several years" and has more than 20 years of flight experience. Jarrett Stobbe had just left the C-Train and was walking to work when he saw the plane about 10 metres overhead. "I heard this loud noise and looked up, and it come right over my head," he said. "It was coming in at kind of an angle and clipped that light post, then landed. The pilot did a heck of a job to get it down like that."Another witness, Michael Nadon, said he wasn't sure what he was seeing was real.Shaken but unhurt"I had to do a double take, definitely, this early in the morning," he said. "It looked like it [the plane] was approaching these businesses here, but it veered off just enough and that's when it clipped the light post."Nadon spoke to people on board who said they were shaken but unhurt."They were mentioning that the plane lost its fuel pump. The female pilot, she landed the plane absolutely amazingly, given the circumstances."It was expected the street would remain closed for several hours.The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been called in to investigate.Story and video ➤ http://www.cbc.ca